A Handmaid's Tale - Chronicles of a Busybody
by Bathea
Summary: Cossiel, royal handmaiden to the Queen of Rohan, finds herself in a moral quandary. How can she uphold Gondorean virtues if her Lady chooses to adhere to Rohan's loose morals? Will she be able to mend her Queen's questionable ways? A spin-off to the one-shot "A Handmaid's Tale".
1. Treacherous Linens

**_Chapter 1 Treacherous Linens_**

 _Edoras, 20th June 01 F.A._

 _My dearest Lady_ Celwen _,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has been a sennight since your departure from Edoras and I already find myself at the forefront of a battle of decency. Ever since my Lady Lothiriel, your dear_ sister, _has been wed to the King of Rohan, she has already started neglecting our ways. In fairness, her ladies-in-waiting or rather shield-maidens-in-waiting as I like to call them are very insistent on "initiating" my Lady in their twisted ways. Mind you, protesting their efforts are fruitless as I quickly came to learn. There is little to no difference regarding the female sex in Rohan when it comes to brutish behavior. These women can definitely hold a candle their male counterparts in both appearance and strength which I myself have had the utter displeasure of experiencing. To this day, I am still nursing dark violet reminders of utter ill-treatment, simply because this female tried to make way for a new barrel of ale, but I digress._

 _I deeply regret to report that the marriage has not yet been consumed and I grow weary by the hour, as no traces of a legitimate joining are visible on the linen sheets. To my surprise, the royal household is frightfully unperturbed by these recent developments which again supports your earlier assessment of how little effort is being made to support their new Queen._ _Quite frankly, I am appalled by the lack of compassion they show for my Lady's predicament. Her station will only be secure once she has successfully produced an heir to the throne. Although I am told the Rohirrim are a frank people, I am not sure how this applies to my Lady as court murmurs were quick to compare her with the late Queen Morwen._ _I tried to draw my Lady's attention to this issue on more than one occasion, yet due to her husband's frequent visits, she seems to be very much_ _in demand. (A fact that I find very much ironic considering the dilemma we currently have on our hands.)_

 _As you already dreaded upon your arrival to Meduseld, my Lady has not been given quarters befitting her station as Queen. I had hoped that the former Queen's solar could have been reinstated, yet King Eomer was insistent upon sharing his quarters with my Lady and apparently she is deferring to his wishes with no regard for her proper place in court. I suspect that she is trying to appease her new people by living as frugally as the next farmer's wife. In all honesty, I dread they will become too familiar with her, as Edoras' court is not overly concerned with tradition or appreciation for higher culture for that matter._

 _To that end, there was a great dissent over my Lady's toilette. Quite early on, maids and "shield-maidens" alike have had no shame in showing their true colours in terms of favoring a more "simple" appearance. Their infatuation with simplicity is almost cult-like. The women of Rohan wear their hair down with no adornments (pins, caps, veils or the like). Even married woman - nobility and commoners alike- are preferring this hairstyle. It is downright shameful. I have seen many a man play with maiden's hair like it's their favorite past time activity. Unfortunately, my Lady has bent to these fashions with little to no regard for our customs. I have been insistent upon dressing her hair in the right fashion yet she more often than not she has gone against my recommendations. Only time will tell if her efforts are fruitful._

 _I shall try my best to be a pillar of morality in these uncertain times and a source of support to my dear Lady._

 _Your ever loyal_

 _Cossiel_

* * *

Eomer of Rohan sighed heavily at the sight of yet another frightfully tall stack of papers. He had been kept at his desk for the good part of the day. Wearily, he combed through his thick hair with his fingers before laying back in his chair and arching his back. Governing, as he had painfully learned, required an uncanny affinity for administrative chores which he, always a man of action, seemed to lack.

But since his marriage to Lothiriel of Dol Amroth more than two sennights before, his struggles with state affairs were becoming a lesser burden to shoulder. Luckily, his lovely wife was a very detailed-oriented person, well versed in bureaucratic procedures. Among her countless talents were negotiating legal fine print in trading agreements, knowing the ins and outs of trading procedures and most importantly, her calm nature in council meetings which on more than one occasions had helped to smooth ruffled feathers.

To the astonishment of many Gondorean nobles, his dear sister in law Celwen included, Lothiriel had been made a permanent member of the council. As it was not common in Gondor for women to hold public offices, Lothiriel's position was met with disdain by Gondorean nobility and also some protest by minor Rohirric nobles. Yet Eomer and the council could not have been happier about this choice as his wife proved to be a valuable asset - even in this short amount of time.

Thinking about these recent developments, a smile came to Eomer's lips. His marriage to Lothiriel had not been arranged. No advisor could have foreseen this pure and raw happiness that had been bestowed upon them. This gift, his soul mate, and partner in crime. He loved her so much, so passionately that he feared he was going mad. Quite frankly, it had been a very maddening courtship to begin with.

After so many dark moments, fears and destruction, Eomer could imagine not only a future for his people but also for himself. How long had he toiled for the safekeeping of his people? How many restless nights had he worked to bring his people through the winter? Truthfully, they still struggled. But now, Eomer of Rohan dared to hope for a brighter future - because of his love and Queen.

Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by a sharp knock on the richly carved double-doors.

He put his quill down and straightened his back.

"Enter."

Leofrid, a young, gangly rider peeked through the crack that had just appeared.

"Good evening, my Lord. I came to collect your correspondence for tomorrow's run."

"Ah, yes Leofrid, do come in. How was your run to Aldburg?"

The rider, carefully walking on the thick carpet, came to stand in front of his desk.

"Oh, aye it went swimmingly, my Lord. The letters were delivered without delay."

Eomer grinned brightly. "Without delay" was a definite understatement. He imagined that this lad would have been able to outpace the Witchking of Angmar. A very good choice indeed.

"Fantastic, I doubt any rider could have managed it under two hours."

Leofrid beamed at his Sire's praise and stood a little bit straighter. In his hands was a dark willow basket which already contained a letter. Eomer collected the sealed parchments from his desk and stacked them up neatly. He followed Leofrid's gaze and halted him.

"I still need to finish a report, Leofrid, you can leave the basket here. Alma has made apple tarts, I'm sure if you ask her nicely, she'll give you one before dinner." He winked at the young rider who took it as a sign of his dismissal. He put the basket next to the reports and nodding his farewell.

As the door clicked shut, Eomer looked ruefully over his hasty scribblings and finished the final paragraph with a sigh. Admittedly, he didn't pay much attention to the basket at first. Just as he sealed his report with the royal signet, his gaze halted on the neatly folded square of parchment, sealed with a blue glob of wax.

* * *

Lothiriel jerked upwards in her bath as someone entered the spacious ante-chamber of the royal apartment. After her visit to the royal horse herd this afternoon, she had wished for nothing more than a bath. Unfortunately, her maid Cossiel regarded bathing as a communal activity. Meaning every activity from choosing bath products,to washing extremities, to drying her hair was carefully supervised and commented on by the Gondorean maid. Although Lothiriel was a very even-tempered woman by nature, she had dismissed Cossiel when she had started berating her on Rohirric hairstyles.

This sturdy young maid from Dol Amroth had been a wedding gift from her sister-in-law Celwen who had insisted upon a help waiting on her hand and foot. Since her betrothal to Eomer, Celwen had feared that Lothiriel had been damned for a life in poverty. Naturally, the young woman had learned to not pay heed to Celwen's twisted views of court life from an early age but that hadn't stopped her from employing Cossiel as a royal handmaiden.

Lothiriel braced herself for yet another sermon on royal etiquette when a dark, rich voice sounded in her left ear.

"And who do we have here?"

She visibly relaxed back against the sides of her bathtub. A broad smile came to her lips as calloused hands stroked the back of her neck.

"Someone who likes peace and quiet my Lord."

A deep, throaty chuckle caused her skin to break out in gooseflesh. She felt his soft whiskers trailing carefully up the side of her neck, arousing her every sense.

"Is that so? I hardly remember a time when the Queen wasn't trailed by her bull terrier guarding her every move."

He punctuated the end of his remark by playfully biting her earlobe. Lothiriel let out a small laugh and bend a little more to him in order to receive his caresses.

"I think she has gone out to look for more compliant prey."

Eomer let out a laugh, kissed her neck and pulled an ottoman closer to the bathtub.

"There is always the option of an early retirement, my love." He grinned down at his wife who pushed herself into an upward position to face him properly. Her wet index finger stroked his mustache.

Green eyes looked at him with mirth. Yet there was a glimpse of exasperation on her face that she couldn't hide.

"You know perfectly well why I can't just dispose of her like that. Not this early, anyway. This will be regarded as a diplomatic incident which we cannot afford."

Eomer's brows raised in mock surprise.

"Is that so? I didn't know Gondor's ambassadors had postings in Meduseld's domestic realm. Maybe I should make a report on Rohan's annual linen cleaning. I am sure that would make an interesting read for Aragorn."

Lothiriel giggled uncontrollably as he then engulfed her in a hug while kissing her neck feverishly.

"Think of all the benefits we would have from sharing this vital piece of information."

"I do get your point, Eomer." Her laugh turned into a soft moan as he sucked a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. "I'd suggest we let her exhaust herself. Let nature run its course before we intervene."

His otherwise lovely smile suddenly turned into a leering grin.

"There is another natural calling that needs tending to."

Before Lothriel could say anything, her husband lifted her out of her bath as if she would weigh nothing more than a feather.

"Eomer, I'm dripping all over the floor!", she wailed when he pressed her tightly against his broad chest, making a beeline for the bedroom.

"Take heart, my dear, you shall be the figurehead for saving linens." He kissed her passionately while stepping in front of the fireplace. "And clothes for that matter."

She wriggled down and stroked wet strands of hair out of her face.

"Then you shall serve me as my personal dryer."

His glistening white teeth almost blinded her for a moment.

"I am at my Lady's service."

She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Before their lips met, she breathed: "Words are cheap, my Lord. Let us make the best of it before we are hauled away for supper.

There was no complaint on his part as Lothiriel pressed herself tightly against him while pulling impatiently on his tunic. She pushed him against the side of the bed while he was toeing off his boots. The hindering footwear hit the ground with a soft thud as the young Queen tackled the infernal laces of his breeches.

The air grew hot between them. Their need almost palpable when Lothiriel came to sit on his lap, feeling the hard bulge that begged to be released. He kissed her wet skin ardently, sucking on her perky breasts.

She wanted to let herself go. The feel of her wet skin against his leather breeches, the sensation of his warm breath against her cool breasts - it was making her wanton. She pushed him down onto the bedding when he suddenly jerked under her.

"Ouch!"

In her hazed state Lothiriel had difficulty making out the problem.

"What happened?"

Eomer looked positively in pain. His shoulders crouched upwards.

"I - ahh, I must have fallen unto something."

Slowly, Lothiriel slid from his lap to inspect him more thoroughly. Eomer rolled tentatively on his side and the young Queen gasped in shock.

"You're bleeding!"

There, on his right shoulder was a furious red patch of skin. A small stream of blood made its way down his back, now that he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

She searched for the offending object and found a book laying on the mattress behind Eomer. Its cover was beautifully designed with floral engravings on the metallic surface. One of the sharp edges bared the evidence of the assault.

She bit her lip guiltily. It was her diary she used to bring with her everywhere. Nowadays, entries were becoming less and less as the new Queen was busy with her daily routine. Lothiriel picked up the journal and showed it to Eomer.

"I'm so sorry, Eomer. My diary mauled your poor shoulder with its sharp edges. Can you ever forgive me?"

He took the diary from her hands, not even casting a glance at the offending object, and threw it onto the carpet. His warm fingers seized her waist and pulled her back into his lap.

"Ah sweetling, only if you kiss me like that again.

She smiled sweetly as he stroked her still damp hair. Her arms went around his shoulders, carefully avoiding the sore spot.

"Like this?", she kissed him sweetly on the mouth and stopped to watch the indignant expression on his face.

He shook his head while she continued her ministrations.

"Like this? Her tongue searched for his, tenderly exploring his mouth, before withdrawing again.

"You little vixen, come here!."

She laughed breathlessly, as he devoured her with his lips. In a tender moment, he let himself fall on the soft bedding with her in his arms.

"Your wound!"

Eomer grinned and stroked a damp strand of hair behind her ear.

"Ah 'tis only a scratch my love. Now we can finally inaugurate the sheets."

She bent down until their lips almost touched each other. "If you insist, lead the way, my love."

And lead he did.

* * *

Cossiel, dressed in a grey veil and high-necked dress, nursed her wooden cup close to her breast. She was seated next to the other servants of the royal household on a large wooden table in the Golden Hall. Nobility and commoners alike had joined tonight's festivities. Usually, the young woman preferred to dine in the privacy of her servant quarters but there were a great many things in Rohan that were handled differently than she was used to.

Her gaze halted on the young Queen who sat next to her Lord husband on the great table in the middle of the hall. She leaned comfortably against the side of her husband who absentmindedly had thrown an arm around her shoulders. They were each engrossed in their respective conversations with the Marshal of the Westmark and a member of the royal council.

No one except Cossiel paid heed to the royal couple's affectionate gestures. She felt a mixture of shame and pity for the Queen as she imagined that her Lady wasn't really at liberty to fight off the King's advances. Not yet anyway. Luckily, there was a silver lining on the horizon. As she had come to prepare her lady for tonight's feast, she had noticed the red streaks on the crisp linen sheet. It had been such a relief. Unfortunately, the joyous moment had lasted only for a little while, as the King had re-entered the bedroom relieving Cossiel of her duties and "rewarding" her with a night off. It was downright frustrating to be shunned from her duties like that and by a man no less.

"Is this seat taken?" Cossiel flinched as a male voice sounded in her left ear. Due to the general noisiness that went on in the hall, the person had to come close to her.

It was that rider. Leo-something.

She looked downwards to avert his gaze.

"No"

"Grand." He took her answer as an invite and carefully placed his stein on the table next to her plate.

"Ye the Queen's maid - Cossiel, aren't ye?

"Indeed." Cossiel remarked dryly as he swung his long legs over the bench, pinning her skirt in the process.

"Oh, sorry, Luv." He smiled cheekily at her as she pulled the fabric from under his legs, clearly annoyed.

"So." He started, taking a big swig from his stein, eying her closely, "How do you like the Mark so far?"

"The Mark?"

"That's right. Rohan, ye know?"

"Ah." She felt increasingly uncomfortable partaking in this conversation.

"So?" He toasted to one of the riders sitting across from him before looking at her inquisitively.

"Ahm, it's been nice." She desperately wished to be in her room, away from the noise and especially from this man.

"Nice?", he chuckled at her statement. "Doesn't look like it though."

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She took a sip from her cup and remained resolutely silent.

The young rider bent down to her eye-level, grinning at her.

"Are ye not allowed to talk? Is that why you are wearing that veil?"

She turned angrily towards him.

"Just because I choose not to speak, does not mean I am not allowed to, Sir."

"Leofrid."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's Leofrid, lass. Just Leofrid."

"Is that right." Her fingers curled tightly in the fabric of her skirt.

"So what's with the veil? "

But before Leofrid could get an answer to the holy grail of questions, a young maid came to stand next to him, sulking visibly.

"You promised me a dance, Leofrid, Leor's son!"

Annoyed, the young rider faced the young maiden.

"Bronwen, could ye just hang on, I..."

Leofrid turned to Cossiel when he noticed her empty seat. As he stood up to search for the young woman, he only saw the grey fabric of her veil as she stormed off into the dark corridor next to the Golden Hall.

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on "A Handmaid's Tale". I really enjoyed writing it, so I wanted to come up with some sort of a backstory. I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I had writing it :) Comments are always appreciated. See you soon in my next chapter :)**


	2. Chapter 2 Nail your Colors to the Mast

**Nail your Colours to the Mast**

When September yielded to October, the city of Edoras prepared for its annual harvest festival. Farmers from the surrounding settlements brought fruit and grain to be stored in the royal granary for winter. In anticipation of the upcoming celebrations, people had sought accommodation in every available inn, or simply settled for camping under the stars in order to catch a glimpse of the new royal couple. Luckily, the weather proved to be agreeable which many a Rohirrim thought to be a good omen - for the harvest and feast respectively.

As the sun stood high above Meduseld, Cossel was dragged through the bustling crowds of market vendors and incoming travellers by her eager companion with flaxen hair. She stared at the glossy, free-flowing locks with thinly veiled jealousy - like liquid gold, she thought to herself in wonder.

"Make haste Cossiel! We mustn't lose our spots!" Grumbling, Cossiel caught up with her, narrowly evading a wooden beam carried by two carpenters. Exhaling with relief, she eyed the young girl. "What is all this? I thought the harvest festival was not for another sennight!"

Edyth, clacking her tongue impatiently, steered them towards a makeshift path between two wooden houses. "Exactly right! Almost no time to spare to decorate and prepare - it's practically here."

She slipped through the gap of one of the houses which ended in a steep path downhill. Edyth turned to Cossiel, her brow furrowing at her the maiden's slow step. "Quick! Béma! _Full-sláw mægþ!_ "

"I'm coming - heaven's above!" she wheezed exasperatingly but before Cossiel could finish her curse, a shriek escaped her mouth as she slipped on the muddy path and tumbled onto a wet patch of grass, nearly losing her veil in the process.

Edyth, sliding down the hill a little more gracefully, clenched her thighs to keep her from doubling over. "You-" she wheezed, a very unladylike grunt escaping her lips as she gasped for air, "you look like a scared ceargesta flapping about-" she laughed so hard that she herself was about to lose her footing.

A deep shade of crimson coloured Cossiel's cheeks as she scowled at her companion. "Will you stop already! I could have seriously harmed myself - I"

"Never mind that." She grinned, offering Cossiel her arm, her eyes still damp from tears of laughter. Having already abandoned the thought of making herself presentable again, as her cloak was already caked with dirt, she grasped Edyth's hand and rose to her feet. "Come on now, it won't be long now and I've really set my eyes on Edgar." She turned to walk towards the practice fields where a considerable audience already flocked to the fences.

As if to regain a bit of dignity Cossiel, smoothed her veil and walked with stiff limbs towards her fellow servants as well as Edyth who sat next to an older woman cheering on the several wrestling men. She flashed her a smile and made room for the young woman as the crowd began to cheer. In all honesty, the young Gondorean wished for nothing more than to retire from this bizarre day which had started with quite the incident. As she began to search her pockets for her newly started letter to Lady Celwen, images she had sworn to erase from her mind, began to creep back before her eyes.

 _"Eomer!" The wailing was soft, almost inaudible through the thick wooden doors as Cossiel pressed softly against the door. With the clacking of breakfast dishes, the maid did not notice the large lump between the queen's legs. Setting down the breakfast tray near the fireplace, she took the poker and stirred the fire until it crackled merrily. Still oblivious to the lustful gasps sounding from the large bed, Cossiel rose to draw back the curtains, illuminating a naked queen, biting down on her lower lip, her face screwed up in a lustful grimace as she clutched the lump between her legs._

 _"Cossiel! What on earth!" A sharp hiss disrupted the silence._

 _Turning from the window she bowed to her lady as Lothiriel of Rohan clutched a white sheet to her breast. "Good morning, mylady. I brought you breakfast. Would you like me to pick out a woollen gown for you this morning? It is quite chilly."_

 _Her lady swallowed uncomfortably, clearly growing irritated by Cossiel's intrusion and her compromising position. "Thank you ever so much, Cossiel. But that won't be necessary. I shall dress later."_

 _"Very well. Shall I assist with your morning toilet?" She bowed her head, luckily missing the queen's exasperated look and a low rumble from below the sheets. "I -"_

 _"What she means to say is this. 'Thank you - but we are in no need of your services this morning.' Your lady will ask for you if your help is truly needed." The maid shrieked as the linen lump grew into an imposing man, rising from beneath his wife's legs. Eomer of Rohan was truly an imposing man. Even in his naked state, he was able to inspire fear and respect. She immediately bent into a low curtsy and lowered her head, her cheeks flaming like hotplates._

 _"I apologize for the intrusion your majesties. It shan't happen again." And with that, she immediately fled for the wooden double doors, relieved as the cool air hit her heated face. The two guards smirked devilishly as she made her way down the corridor. Inside the royal chamber, heat rose to the queen's cheeks as she wiggled away from her husband._

 _"Was that really necessary? You almost scared her to death." Shrugging unperturbedly, he pulled her to her knees and shifting her so that she faced the headboards. "I believe I was within my rights to not be disturbed.", he growled playfully, covering her throat with insistent kisses. "That may be true, but you needn't have jumped her, poor thing." She gasped as he positioned herself behind her. Grasping his neck from behind, she sought out that blissful position that made her weak with lust. "If I were you, I wouldn't be concerned for her but for you." His whiskers pleasantly stung against her cheek as he expertly rolled her pearl between his thumb and index finger. Her wailing became louder as he thrust against her, his other hand cupping her breast forcefully. Their laboured moans carried through the corridor, mixing with Cossiel's hurried steps on the stone floor._

Cossiel gasped as her sharp end of the pencil poked through the paper. She sighed, oblivious to the raucous cheers next to her as she felt a weird pulling sensation in her nether regions. What a ghastly thought! Here she was, writing to the lady Celwen and entertaining such impure thoughts. She put her quill in her lap and surveyed her fellow companions sitting next to her on the bench. The Rohirrim obviously had very twisted ideas about the physical act of love. How else could that behaviour be explicable? Having faired from a poor but noble family, Cossiel had never been privy to these conversations. Albeit having caught the occasional romp between soldier and milkmaid - of course, no one ever had caught sight of her hideout, their encounter had been very different to what she had witnessed in the royal apartments. Was it some sort of tickling? How was he suppose to get her with child - no wonder then. She sighed, as she re-read her draft.

 _My dearest Lady_ Celwen _,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health._

 _I find it.._. Splash!

Cossiel hadn't seen it coming. A leather ball, streamlined like a bird's torso, soared through the air and descended conveniently into a puddle of mud next to the screaming onlookers. Wet, clumpy dirt splashed everywhere within a six-feet radius, covering her grey garb and veil and coloured the fabric of her dress a deep earthy-brown. Servants who had sat next to her on the wooden bench jumped to their feet as if the earthy mixture were poisonous. Dark curses sounded through the air while Cossiel assessed her damage.

Luckily, the parchment bared little evidence of dirt or other liquids for which she was utterly thankful. Her dress, however, had suffered more under the sudden assault which she now came to realise. Quickly, she folded the parchment and slipped it into her purse that hung from a leather belt. She fumbled for her pencil made from graphite - a precious mineral which could only be found in the mines of Umbar-but noticed that during the commotion the flying object had caused, it must have been buried in the mud.

Cursing under her breath, she rose quickly to inspect the bench and the surrounding area. She could not locate the silver handle which would have been able to stand out in the mud. Desperately, she went down on her knees to feel the earth for the metal object. She didn't mind her crouching on the floor like a beast because this pen had been her mother's and she would rather die than leave it buried in Rohan's dirt. Before she could move any which way, her hands came to feel a bulky, weathered surface, a tip of some sort. Intrigued, she felt for the object when her hand jerked away in surprise. Under the raw surface, something had moved. Were they toes? She looked again but to her surprise, someone had crouched down in front of her, looking at her inquisitively. Leofrid.

"Long time no see, lass!" His green eyes danced merrily at the sight of her. "Is this the famous Gondorean greeting every rider has been raving about?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she backed away from the infernal man.

"A pity that they have left you in the dark then.", she spat venomously yet instantly regretting her choice of words. No Gondorean lady would ever stoop down to his low manners. However, there was something about him that simply brushed her the wrong way.

As his roaring laughter rang in her ears, she wished she could muffle his outrageous sounds in the cold mud. "Is it common to be so cheeky as a Gondorean?"

She bit her lips, carefully reigning in her remark that instantly popped into her head. When he noticed that no recourse was to be delivered from her sharp tongue, he searched for her gaze. "What are you doing, anyway?"

She sighed in exasperation. "I am looking for my pen. It must have fallen to the ground when that thing hit the puddle."

Leofrid turned slightly pink at her statement. "Yeah, that was probably my fault, lass. T'was a wide through, you see."

She glared at him in disdain but didn't say anything more. She felt for a metal shape in the mud but grew more frustrated by the second.

"Hey! Leofrid! Are you throwing the pill or not? Court on your own damn time!" A dark voice boomed over the field and interrupted their bickering. A fellow rider, possibly a friend of Leofrid's, had come to stand near the fence and eyed the pair angrily. Mud-caked hair fell in chunks down his shoulders. A brown smear was plastered across his forehead and one eye was swollen shut. Deep shades of purple were competing with the striking scarlet flush of his cheeks.

Leofrid raised to his full height and flashed a grin at his team-mate. "Sorry for the long wait, Athelstan. Can't wait to get another black eye, can ye?" Keckling laughter sounded behind them on the field. Several team players had joined Athelstan at the fence, obviously enjoying the spectacle. Cossiel pondered whether Athelstan secretly hailed from beets rather than men. His scarlet face scrunched up in fury as he rudely screamed at Leofrid.

"Get on with it, you horse ass."

"Yeah, yeah." Lowering to his knees, he picked up the leather object, suddenly stopping in his tracks as he felt something in the dirt. "Is that your's lass?" He eyed her curiously as he held a mud-caked pen in front of her. She only nodded her head, which made him grin mischieviously.

"WHAT THE HELL! GET THAT DAMNED EOSOL-"

As quickly as he had appeared, Leofrid vanished into a swirl of mud and moving men as his opponents wrestled him for the ball. Before she lost sight of him he screamed: "Wait for me lass, will ye?" Under roaring laughter, the flock of players chased him over the field as he fled with the ball.

When Cossiel cleaned the silver handle of her pen, a light tug near her cloak made her look down.

"Come sit with us, Cossiel. It's far too dangerous to be standing here." Edyth's smile was devilish which she decided to ignore. Interested in her surroundings for the first time, she bent to her friend to whisper in her ear.

"What is this game called?"

Over the loud cheering, Cossiel almost could not make out any of Edyth's explanations. " It is called befón - a game where you have to wrestle a leather ball from your opposing team. It is very popular ihere in the Mark."

Before her friend could continue, she squealed in joy as Leofried's team player threw the ball over the opponent's fence.

" _Gea! Edgar, gód_!" she cheered, as the winning team lifted Edgar on their shoulders. "They will be great for _Gamen_!"

"Gamen?" Cossiel asked in confusion as she saw one player casually strolling down the field towards them.

"Yes, it's our biggest jousting festival in the Mark. Always during the harvest festival. It consists of arrow shooting, sword fighting, racing, lumber throwing-"

"Lumber throwing? Are you pulling my leg?" Edyth laughed at her incredulous face. "Yes, to be fair it is a very popular sport. The best athlete wins a steed from the royal herd. It is the highest honour."

"It is", a low voice rumbled in her ear. Leofried, still smiling yet considerably muddier than before appeared before her face.

"Goodness, Leofried. Will you just take her and leave us be?" Edyth asked in annoyance, as the rider smoothed his muddy hair back. "Who are you two to decide how I spend my day?" Cossiel asked in a huffed voice. Irritated by his presence, she rose to leave yet was held back by him.

"Let me invite you to lunch, luv - you look positively famished.", he winked at her which made her brow furrow in disdain.

"That is a very good idea! Didn't you want to visit the market anyways?" Edyth smiled sweetly up at her scowling companion. "If that is so, please let me offer you my arm and protection. He smiled broadly at her which only made her scowl more. Shuffeling with her feat, she relented and took his arm.

"To be clear, I will only go with if my friend- " She stopped to look for Edyth who was passionately entangled with Edgar.

"Nevermind then." Leofrid laughed as he pulled her towards the path to the market. "Come on lass, leave your friend I won't bite, I promise."

Reluctantly, Cossiel let Leofried accompany her. As they stopped to inspect the different stalls, he never stopped telling her about anything and everything. As they feasted on bread and soup, she had grown accustomed to his smooth voice which was quite soothing to her which made her more relaxed in the process. He insisted on buying her a new piece of cloth - forest green and embroidered with the crest of Edoras which to her was a totally unsuitable piece of clothing but he insisted that she wear it anyway. "Ye need a bit more colour, lass!"

She relented, secretly admiring the green cloth in her hands. Since their lunch break at a local tavern, he had watched her closely, inspecting her scarf with sharp eyes. When it started to rain, they sought cover in one of the large stables next to the market. It was then in the quiet and warm stall when he asked her.

"You didn't answer my question earlier, luv."

"And what would that be?" she asked quietly, back against the wooden wall in the stable. He bent closer to her, supporting herself with his forearm over her head. "Why are you wearing a veil?"

She looked away, suddenly uncomfortably by his questions. "I'd like to see your hair sometime," he said softly, smoothing her lower lip with his warm thumb. Her heart began to beat faster as all her reasoning went out the window. He inched closer to her face, almost about to kiss her when she slapped him on his cheek. They both looked flustered, no one able to say anything more as a mere moment after, they came together in a passionate kiss.

His hands felt her through the linen material, her body naturally inching closer to him. His tongue delved into her mouth and swept her up to glorious heights. As they shuffled to a more dimly lit corner, a loud scream disrupted the silence.

"Leofried! Saddle your horse, the king has asked for you!" His head dropped to her shoulder, foreign curses sounding in her ear as he pushed himself from her. "Coming!", he shouted while turning back to her. "Don't go anywhere!", he smiled to her as he hurried down the corridor to talk to the messenger.

Cossiel's heart pounded up to her neck as she pondered her escape route. Lifting herself from off the wall, she discovered a small entrance next to an empty stall.

A happy tune on his lips, Leofried returned to see a small door ajar, rain covering it like a second, glossy skin. He whipped his head around just in time catch a glimpse of a dark veil in the rain. What colour he could not say.

* * *

Thank you so much for your continuous reviews. Especially the "Go Leofried" comment cracked me up :) I have not updated this and a couple of my other stories since there is a lot going on in the next couple of weeks. I had this draft saved up for quite some time but for some reason, it never felt quite done. I am very happy that that's done now.

I was thinking of incorporating other kinds of sports besides ye olde jousting since that's every A Knight's Tale ever. But it would be quite funny to see if there were Anglo Saxon version of (American)football. When I lived in Ireland, it was quite interesting to see how each county had its specific sport either Geilge football or rugby. It would be quite cool to incorporate rivalling sports in a Rohan-centered fic, kind of like the East vs. the West Mark. What do you think?

Boramir Thank you:) At least, I have.

Guest Thanks, that really cracked me up :)

Catspector I hope you're not disapointed ;) Always appreciate your comments :)

A Thanks :)

Anon We have to wait and see ;)

alia00 Thanks :)

rossui It is going to be interesting to say the least :) Thanks for your comments :)


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